The 14 Biggest LGBT News Stories Of 2014
It's been an undeniably important year for the LGBT community—a year of exhilarating highs and heartbreaking lows. Marriage equality made its way to a record number of states in 2014, but disturbing anti-gay laws in Uganda, Nigeria, Russia, and elsewhere threatened the freedom (and lives) of our community around the world.
We saw encouraging advances in the fight against HIV/AIDS in 2014, but also a concerning rise in the number of gay and bisexual men infected with the virus. And while minors can no longer be forced into gay conversion therapy in several U.S. states, many are still being bullied to death. Even social media, which has been such an amazing tool for visibility and awareness, brought its own pitfalls.
Below, we count down the 14 most newsworthy LGBT news stories of 2014.
14. Democrats lose the Senate
On November 4, Democrats lost control of the Senate, giving republicans a majority in both houses of Congress for the first time in eight years. Not only did Republican candidates with anti-gay platforms pick up seats, but pro-gay candidates from states like North Carolina and Colorado lost re-election bids to more conservative opponents.
The new congressional makeup could threaten hard-won gains, and will certainly stall movement on issues like ENDA, trans health care and immigration.
On the plus side: Maura Healey (D-MA) became the first openly gay person in the nation elected a state's attorney general.
13. Truvada stirs up controversy
In May, the Centers for Disease Control recommended that gay men who don't regularly use condoms take Truvada, a pre-exposure prophylaxis, (PReP) which is 90% effective in preventing HIV infection if used properly.
While Truvada has been on the market for some time, it marked the first time the agency made such a broad endorseent of PrEP.
Of course, there were those who worried a reliance on medication would decrease safer sex: One study out of San Francisco indicated gay men were more likely to stop using condoms once the started on Truvada. Is this the new normal?
And with a $10,000 price tag for a year's supply, is Truvada a realistic option for young gay men, the fastest rising HIV transmission population?
We'll have to see where 2015 takes us.
12. Facebook goes to war with drag queens
This fall, drag queens (and their fans) were in an uproar over Facebook's insistence that members use their legal names or face having their pages deleted.
A drag contingent met with Facebook execs (an event we'd have killed to see) but were shot down: "Make a fan page, change your name, or we'll shut you down in two weeks," was the message they received.
A leader in the fight, Sister Roma, called the policy discriminatory and "potentially dangerous to a variety of Facebook users, including abused and battered women, bullied teens, political activists, sex workers, and especially members of the transgender community."
Eventually, Facebook announced the crackdown was the result of an overzealous member flagging profiles, and not an official witch hunt, and performers' pages were restored.
11. ...But adds gender options galore
Facebook did deliver some good news to the LGBT community in 2014, in the form of 51 new gender identity options for users who were previously restricted to "male" or "female."
Users also have the ability to choose the pronoun they'd like to be referred to with—he/his, she/her, or the gender-neutral they/their.
Good on you, Facebook.
Other social-media outlets, including Google Plus and dating service OKCupid widely expanded their gender identity options as well.
1o. Pope Francis says gays "have gifts" to offer Christians
Continuing his measured but seemingly more progressive approach, in October Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to be inclusive toward the LGBT community: “Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community," he declared, "Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities?”
He also gave some support to same-sex relationships: “Without denying the moral problems connected to homosexual unions it has to be noted that there are cases in which mutual aid to the point of sacrifice constitutes a precious support in the life of the partners.”
A council of bishops vetoed the Pope's statements just days later, but Francis managed to demote one of his most homophobic cohorts, Cardinal Raymond Burke, who declared gay couples were “evil” and should be kept away from children.
What will Francis say next? The Holy Father loves keeping us on our toes.
9. Conversion therapy banned in New Jersey and Washington, DC
Joining California, New Jersey and Washington, DC, both outlawed reparative or conversion therapy for minors—a treatment most major medical groups call useless and downright harmful.
In September, a federal appeals court upheld New Jersey's ban (which Gov. Chris Christie actually signed in 2013), and rebuffed claims that it violated anti-gay groups' freedom of speech and religious expression.
Earlier this month, D.C.'s city council unanimously voted to pass a bill prohibiting licensed health professionals from making "efforts to change behaviors, gender identity or expression, or to reduce or eliminate sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward a person of the same sex or gender."
8. "Religious freedom" bills threaten LGBT citizens
From its name, the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act suggests that somehow citizens' rights were taken away. In reality it legalized discrimination against the LGBT community, allowing businesses to turn away gay people if the reason was based on religious beliefs, and not old-fashioned homophobia.
“I believe certainly by the way that this bill is drafted that it will allow discrimination in Mississippi,” said Sen. Derrick Simmons, who opposed the measure. “There is nothing in the proposed legislation that prohibits that.”
A similar bill was vetoed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer earlier in the year, and while a "religious freedom" bill was passed by the Michigan house earlier this month, its expected to die in the General Assembly.
7. No ENDA, but LGBT workers gain protections
Shortly before Christmas, outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed that transgender employees of federal contractors were protected by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Justice Department will now be able to bring legal claims against federal employers who fire their staffers on the basis of gender identity or presentation.
And while the Employment Non-Discrimination Act languishes in a Republican-controlled House, President Obama signed an executive order this summer ensuring federal contractors cannot discriminate against employees on the basis of sexual orientation.
Though a Congressional measure would have protected LGBT employees everywhere, the President's order was an important step—one of several Obama's taken to shore up his pro-LGBT bona fides after announcing support for same-sex marriage in 2012.
6. We lost too many of our youth
Though the LGBT community has made amazing strides, 2014 still saw the senseless death of too many of our children.
Twelve-year-old Robin Shimuzu took his own life this winter after suffering endless harassment for being a boy cheerleader. Sergio Urrego, 16, committed suicide in September after administrators at his Catholic high school in Colombia outed him to classmates. In England, 14-year-old Lizie Lowe killed herself rather than come out to her parents.
And Isa Shakhmarli, a 20-year-old gay-rights activist in Azerbaijan, committed suicide in January by hanging himself with a rainbow flag.
In other cases, LGBT youth fell prey to their own families: Pearl Fernandez and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre were sentenced to life in prison without the hope of parole in October for murdering Pearl's 8-year-old son, Gabriel, because he was "acting gay."
Our hearts go out to every young person facing harassment, hatred and bullying.
5. Apple CEO Tim Cook officially comes out
In October Tim Cook became one of the most powerful gay men in the world when he came out in an essay in Businessweek. Though the Apple CEO's sexuality was something of an open secret, the importance of his decision cannot be underestimated.
"While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now," he wrote. "So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me...So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy."
Apple is now the first Fortune 500 company to have an openly gay man at the helm.
4. HIV rates still rising among men who have sex with men
This year, a study out of the CDC raised alarms: While HIV rates fell 33% across the board between the years 2002 and 2011, gay and bisexual men ages 13-24 saw their infection rate more than double from about 3,000 to about 7,000 per 100,000.
"It’s been more than 30 years since the first cases were reported," said the study's co-author, Amy Lansky. "It’s harder to maintain that sense of urgency.”
3. Anti-gay laws threaten the global gay community
Signed by their respective presidents early this year, Uganda and Nigeria's anti-gay laws are horrifyingly homophobic and indicate a new and disturbing tide of hatred toward the LGBT community.
In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a measure punishing same-sex activity with 14 years in prison, and up to life in jail for "aggravated homosexuality."
Though the bill was eventually repealed on a technicality, a newly proposed law, the "Prohibition of the Promotion of Unnatural Sexual Practices Bill,” would punish promotion of homosexuality along with sexual acts.
In Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan signed a gay-marriage ban that would actually incarcerate guests of same-sex union for up to a decade. Officiants of such ceremonies could face five years in jail, while the couples themselves could face 14 years in prison. The law also puts those who "promote" homosexuality—including LGBT rights activists—in prison for a decade.
These homophobic policies have not gone unnoticed: President Obama announced sanctions against Uganda, including cutting funds to anti-LGBT religious organizations there.
2. Sochi put Russia's anti-gay laws under scrutiny
Just months after a ban on "gay propaganda" took effect, Russia came into the international spotlight as the host of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Gay rights in Russia—and elsewhere—quickly became huge headlines, with everyone from David Letterman to AT&T and Google weighing in.
President Obama made a bold statement by sending openly gay athletes on the American delegation to the Olympics, including tennis star Billie Jean King, hockey player Caitlin Cahow and figure skater Brian Boitano,who actually came out as gay once he accepted the honor. (Cahow wrote about her experiences at Sochi for NewNowNext.)
Bucking tradition, the President, First Lady and Vice President Biden all skipped the Olympics, because, as Obama declared, "we wanted to make it very clear that we do not abide by discrimination in anything, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation."
The Games themselves saw awareness for international LGBT rights: Snowboarder Cheryl Maas raised a rainbow glove in solidarity, NBC commentator Johnny Weir interviewed gay activists while at Sochi, and Germany's outfits during the opening ceremony were suspiciously rainbow-tastic.
Later this year, the IOC finally added sexual orientation to the non-discrimination policy in its charter, requiring future host countries to repudiate anti-gay laws.
1. Marriage equality came to 19 new states
On January 1, 2014, gays and lesbians could get married in less than a dozen states. As of this writing, that number has skyrocketed to 35, including conservative states like South and North Carolina, Utah, Kentucky and Montana.
The biggest gain was actually caused by a non-event, when in October, the Supreme Court declined to hear same-sex marriage cases in five states—allowing lower court rulings legalizing marriage equality to take effect and bringing the freedom to marry to 11 states in all.
According to Freedom to Marry, 64% of Americans now lives in a state where same-sex marriage is legal. And that number will go up on January 6, after the Supreme Court declined to grant a stay in a verdict bringing marriage equality to Florida.
Cases in other states are working their way through the appeals process and may be heard by the Supreme Court. Will we see marriage equality in all 50 states in 2015? Here's hoping.
